Permafrost
by Shadow Dracow
Summary: Set long before the first Thor movie. Legend says that Loki once had a wolf child that he adored. The legends portray this wolf as a menace; a raging beast to be feared that was the living embodiment of chaos. But legends are merely twisted versions of the truth - turned in favour of the party telling the story. The truth is always, of course, so much more complicated.
1. Permafrost

The Jotun forest was dense with thick vegetation, but not the kind Loki would find on Asgard. These trees and bushes had a kind of nullity to them. The trunks were enveloped in a frosty blanket and the leaves which hung precariously from twigs were a very pale green. Frankly though, it was surprising that there were even living things in this icy wasteland.

"I find myself questioning this little endeavour of ours," Loki said, breaking the silence that was as cold as the weather itself.

"It must be done, as ordered by the Allfather." Sif scanned the map she had been carrying for their entire journey. She pointed to an opening in the shrubbery on their left. "This way."

Behind her, the Warriors Three; Volstagg, Hogun and Fandral as well as Thor, followed quietly.

"Are we just going to ignore the fact that the Aesir sent us on a confidential search for an object we know nothing of, except that it brings those that have died back to life?" Loki persisted.

Fandral, a blond-haired man with the disposition of a child trained to war, fell back and walked next to Loki. "It is not our job to question the wishes of the Aesir, my friend," he whispered. He looked around paranoid as if the trees had ears, and lowered his voice even further. "But I have heard rumours that they seek this relic for the defence of Asgard. You see, if they can bring our dead soldiers back to walk among us, we may have a solid defence for Asgard, while those who have not yet passed to Helheim can prepare for if we need to be on the offense. Our army becomes larger and exponentially stronger. Makes sense, don't you think?"

Loki lifted a sceptical eyebrow. "There are too many unanswered questions. Such questions are why has nobody else searched for this object? Why would it be in this god-forsaken forest? And surely there will be negative repercussions to disturbing such a fragile balance of nature. I thought the Aesir were more intelligent than diving into this without more information."

"We've always dived into things head first!" Volstagg chimed in. "Why, that's the fun of it. It's akin to the excitement of digging into a delicious smelling potluck."

"Volstagg! Hush." Thor made a silencing gesture with his hand.

Fandral rolled his eyes and returned to the front with the rest of the group, obviously disappointed at the loss of mystique due to Volstagg's rather annoying obsession with food.

Silence befell the search party once again, making the atmosphere of their surroundings all the more eerie. Wind whistled through the trees and made the shadows on the frosty surface below their canopies take on menacing forms. Loki adjusted his coat and tried to shake the feeling that they were being watched. He wasn't bothered by the cold weather. Actually, he quite enjoyed it. It was the chilling sensation he felt in his bones that was disturbing. Like a grim foreboding of something terrible happening. He quickened his pace to catch up with the others.

The wind picked up until it was blowing at a tremendous rate. A loud cacophony of sounds suddenly filled the holes created by the silence. A loud bang could be heard from somewhere far ahead, followed by many softer bangs and a shrill whine that cut through the air so viciously Loki thought the ice all around them would shatter. Sif stopped dead in her tracks, clutching the map tightly as if for comfort. For many dragged out seconds, nobody moved. Not a word was shared. There were mere distressed glances. Finally, Thor spoke up.

"We need to keep moving."

"I think we should investigate where those sounds came from," Fandral interrupted.

Loki looked at him incredulously. "And bring ourselves to an abrupt and pointless death? Forgive me, but though this may seem like cowardice to you it is common sense to me. I don't think we should carry on in any direction. A sensible option right now is to head back to Asgard."

"We can't just leave so soon, Loki. We have our mission." Sif was always one to follow orders to the very last syllable. She would also be the one, Loki mused, to get them all killed, one way or another.

He sighed. "Very well."

Sif directed an appreciative nod at Loki and then turned to Thor. "Thor and I will continue looking for the relic. Loki, Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg; you go investigate that noise."

Hogun nodded in silence while Fandral and Volstagg grinned. Loki stood stationary in shock. To split up and make _him_ go with the Annoying Three was an absolute atrocity, but he had no choice but to comply. He followed the three as they went separate ways, a straight line of resignation plastered on his face. He could hardly believe that he was being ordered around by a warrior maiden. He was a prince; the prince of Asgard. He was never supposed to be taking orders from someone below him. But alas, his father's orders were that they follow Sif, as she would be the map bearer. There was nothing he could do or even say with regard to it.

He made his way through low-lying branches winding their way around neighbouring trees and tried his best not to get his foot caught in the roots that protruded awkwardly from the ground. There was also the danger of slipping on the ice, which, he argued with himself, he was afraid of because of the danger of physical harm, but the truth was that he was only afraid of wounding his pride and looking like a clumsy fool. He was secretly hoping one of the three would lose their footing and do just that. It would make for a rather amusing moment, and would offer something to lift the mood of this overly depressing place. As they got closer to the apparent source of the raucous, another whine could be heard, but much fainter than the first, followed by several more whines and whimpers.

"Speed up boys, it sounds like something is hurt," Fandral stated with his usual heroic tone.

"Wait!" Loki said as loud as he could while whispering. "It could be a trap."

Hogun nodded. "Loki is right. It's too risky. We should stick with what we came here to do."

Loki felt a sense of relief. Hogun was usually the more sensible one of the three. Perhaps they would listen to him.

"If it is a trap…" Volstagg started.

"…then we shall fight to escape!" Fandral interjected.

Volstagg frowned. "I was _going_ to say we had better be rescued."

"Rescued?" Fandral laughed. "My man, when have we ever needed a rescue?"

"Well, there were those battles in-"

"Okay, hush now, Volstagg!" Fandral walked ahead to avoid any embarrassment Volstagg might have created for them.

Once again they had managed to annoy Loki. "Can we just see what that is and get this over with?"

Fandral cleared his throat. "Right, right. Onward!"

The next few minutes were filled with painfully dull conversation that made Loki crave the disturbing silence. Topics ranged from who had the bluntest axe in Asgard to suggestive comments on why Sif chose to go alone with Thor. This carried on until they reached a cave of sorts. Creepers had crawled their way around the entrance. Loki could only see inside well enough to observe several stalactitic icicles that extended into a sharpened point.

The whines could be heard again – this time coming from inside the cave. Some cautioned glances were shared between the Warriors and Loki before an agreement was made. They each made their way into the cave in silence.

The cave was mostly dark with only some rays of light shining in through cracks in the roof. Though the four tried to tread lightly, the contact their boots made with the ground still echoed throughout. Another whine sounded, followed by an ear-splitting howl that stunned Loki so much he nearly tripped. _Probably best that the three never knew about that,_ he laughed internally at his own mistake.

"Over here boys!" Fandral sounded relieved. Everyone rushed forward to see what he had found.

Hogun and Volstagg let out awed gasps. "What? What is it?" Loki pushed his way past them. His heart exploded when he saw the source of all the noise. Lying on the ground with its forepaws outstretched was a wolf pup. A large boulder had crushed its left hind paw and left it unable to escape. Every now and then it would erect itself on its forepaws and attempt to pull and scratch itself out, but the struggle was in vain, and it would end up squealing in pain and falling flat on its stomach. Fandral immediately dashed forward and wrapped his arms around the boulder. Loki could see his muscles bulging through his green leather suit as he exerted himself to lift it off the unfortunate pup's paw. It howled in agony.

"Stop! You're hurting it, you oaf." Loki scolded. Fandral walked up to him challengingly.

"Do _you_ have a better way to go about this?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." He pushed Fandral aside. Levitation magic wasn't new to him, though he hoped it would be strong enough for an object of this size. He rubbed his hands together as he looked down at the pup. It was staring up at him, its eyes pleading him to make the pain stop. Suddenly its head began jerking and it vomited a clear liquid.

"We must hurry." He gestured to Hogun. "Quickly, hold it still. It's going into shock."

Loki held his palms toward the boulder and focused his energy towards it. He could feel strong pools of energy flowing from his hands and wrapping around the large mass. It diffused into it and locked onto it. He cleared his mind and willed his energy to move which in turn moved the boulder. Slowly, it began to lift and the pressure was taken off the pup's paw. It let out one fainter cry before falling completely limp.

"Lift it out!" Loki gasped from the amount of strength it was taking to hold his energy up. As soon as Hogun lifted the pup up and out of the way of the boulder, he released his concentration and allowed it to fall.

"Give it here. You're holding it wrong." He held his arms out and took the unconscious animal from Hogun who was holding the pup in such a way that it hung in what looked to be a rather painful position. "We must get this thing to Asgard so we can give it medical attention."

They all agreed and made their way out of the cave. It was surprising how much warmer it was inside. As soon as Loki stepped outside he was hit by a gust of icy wind that chilled him to the bone.

"Loki!" Thor was making his way to them. Loki found it odd, though, that he was walking backwards. The scene, however, made sense once a frost giant was no longer obstructed by a tree. It was attacking Thor. Or rather, trying to. Mjolnir was brought down upon its head and it fell rather suddenly to the ground. As Thor came closer, so did many other frost giants, followed by Sif and, unsurprisingly, _more_ frost giants. Loki scowled. _Vile things._

The trees to their side and behind them rustled as another group of frost giants appeared. Loki realised that they were surrounded on all sides. _This won't do. Not now._ The pup in his arms was bleeding out and going cold. Their time was short and yet before them lay a battle.

"We have to go, Thor!" He shouted over the clanking of metal against metal and the cries of the Three who had impulsively joined in the fight.

"That simply won't do!" Lady Sif replied. "We have not yet searched the entire forest."

Loki ducked behind a fallen tree as an ice shard was flung his way. He flipped his free hand up and made the culprit fly into the air and land on two more of his own.

"We cannot stay, Sif! Do you not see the egregious danger that surrounds us?"

"Danger has never ceased our battles!"

"No, but I hold a wounded creature in my hands that is on the brink of death. We must go!"

Sif sliced through a frost giant and kicked a couple more towards Thor who happily finished them off. She turned towards Loki and upon seeing the wolf pup, blood caking its fur and paw hanging flattened and limp, she nodded. "Loki is right, we must go."

"What?" Thor was bemused and agitated simultaneously. He brought a frost giant down and slammed his boot into its head. "We can defeat them all if only we persist!"

"That is in all respects true, Thor. But look towards Loki. That thing is dying."

One of the Jotun warriors squealed as he was flung into the air by Thor and dropkicked by Hogun. Thor threw Mjolnir at a hoard of Jotuns. He turned to Loki and threw his hands in the air. "You wish for us to desist for a _dog?_ " He grabbed Fandral who kept his body stiff and launched him into another group of warriors. He thrust his fist forward, intending it for a frost giant. The Jotun dodged and made Thor slam his fist into a tree which created a huge hole in the trunk. He growled and held out his hand for Mjolnir. When his hammer was returned to him he slammed it into the giant. "I'm terribly sorry, but there are almost always casualties in battle. Certainly more important ones than that of an animal."

"Have you no heart, brother? This is a living thing! It, however, won't be if we persist with this arguing."

Sif slashed through more attackers and ran towards Thor. She grabbed him and called the rest over. "I'm sorry, Thor, but we simply must go." As soon as everyone was together she called for Heimdall. Several Jotuns were blown back as a bright flash was directed onto the group. They were all pulled into the portal. Loki clung onto the pup. He couldn't have it die. Not after they had just saved it.

* * *

 **A/N: This is just a little something I am writing for fun but also to improve my skills as a writer, so any feedback is greatly appreciated so long as it is constructive. Thanks for reading and please leave a review!**


	2. Fenrir

When the group returned to Asgard, they received judgements from Heimdall who criticised their actions and made statements which Loki paid no mind to. He rushed to the palace on foot with the pup still hanging limply in his arms.

When he arrived, he was greeted by the palace staff to whom he explained the wolf's predicament and asked for immediate help in repairing the pup's leg and nursing it back to health. They happily complied and called in a nurse who evaluated it's condition and immediately began a procedure in which she fastened a splint to the wounded leg and rubbed a healing ointment as thick as she could on the exact location of the break where the bone protruded from the skin and left a piece of flesh hanging loosely.

Loki watched with the utmost level of anxiety. When the nurse was done she turned to him and settled his nerves – telling him that the wolf would be just fine and needed only a few days to recover. He returned to his chamber – finally at ease – and spent the next couple of days waiting with a busy mind for the notification that the pup was healthy and had returned to normality.

He eventually got a visit from the nurse who had helped the pup. She informed him that all had gone well with it and that it had regained consciousness and could walk again, although it had a severe limp which it would most probably retain for the entirety of its life. Loki rushed to see the wolf, rejoicing at the healthy glint in its eyes and its sudden excitement upon seeing the man who was its saviour. He bent down and allowed the pup to limp joyfully into his arms and lick his cheek with such avidity that Loki was sure it could scrape his skin off with any more force.

"I'll handle it from here," he assured the nurse. She nodded and allowed them to leave. He took the wolf to his chamber's bathing room, noticing that it had not been cleaned for some time. He heated some water and poured it in his bath. He lowered the pup gently into the water and expected it to revolt, as his knowledge told him most canids showed repugnance at being forced into water. This canine, however, enjoyed the warmth and smoothness of the water and splashed around happily, playing about and paddling around, providing Loki with great amusement and joy. Loki took the pup gently and began washing the dirt off of its coat.

"You know," he laughed, "you're so filthy; one would think you were born in the muddy waters of a marsh." He paused at his own comment and thought deeply before ruffling the pup's now clean matt black fur and smiling. "That's perfect! I just found your name, little one." He stroked the wolf's head, an action to which it quickly responded and licked Loki's hand. "You will be known as Fenrir. It means 'marsh-dweller'. It's rather fitting, don't you think?"

Fenrir yipped in reply and licked Loki's hand again before immersing itself more in the water and swimming around playfully. Loki's heart exploded once more and he felt elation more deeply than he had in years.

A sudden loud bang interrupted their frivolous playing. The doors to Loki's chamber had been flung open. A staff-woman entered the bathing room. Loki shot an angered glare at her. "Have you no awareness of the term 'knocking'?"

"Apologies, sir." She bowed her head nervously. "But your father seeks an immediate audience with you."

Loki's back became erect. He suddenly felt a knot develop in his stomach.

"And he has requested that you bring the wolf pup with you."

"Very well." Loki stood and pulled Fenrir out of the water. He dismissed the woman and dried the pup.

* * *

"Come forth, Loki and Lady Sif." The Allfather had an unusually powerful voice which was only amplified by the large room they were all gathered in. It was almost as if his voice ricocheted off of the giant marble pillars and struck the subjects to their knees. He was also supposedly wiser and more insightful than most leaders that the whole of Yggdrasil had ever seen. _Supposedly_.

Loki loved Odin, as he was his father, though he was certain that should he someday attain the throne, he would make a much more powerful leader.

Both stepped forward, Sif's expression solemn and her eyes as dark as her hair. She unsheathed her sword and placed the tip on the ground. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the hilt. "My King, if you can only give us chance to explain, I'm certain we could-"

"Silence, Lady Sif," he ordered. He brought his golden staff to the ground and stood from his throne. "You have disappointed me greatly. You were sent to Jotunheim for the simple obtainment of the requested relic, and my knowledge is that you abandoned your mission to save this," he waved violently to Fenrir, who was jumping around Loki's legs trying to climb up them, "beast."

Both Sif and Loki looked down. Loki picked Fenrir up and stepped forward. "Father, if I may have permission to speak…"

"Speak quickly." Odin flashed Loki a glare that warned him against being disrespectful in the slightest.

"We had been searching the Jotun forest for much too long, and had found nothing of any significance. Perhaps whoever informed you about the location was wrong. Furthermore, we have no actual evidence that this relic even exists, other than some legends and accounts from old coots. We had already discussed briefly the idea of returning to Asgard and researching into the relic further before continuing. Even if we had not found this pup, it would not have been long before we had come back, even without the relic."

Odin looked to Thor who was standing silent beside Sif. "Is this true?"

"Yes, father. Although, we were planning on staying for much longer than we did when we found the pup."

A silence fell over the room as Odin slipped into thought, no doubt considering a punishment for Loki and Sif. Loki was relieved that that was not the case. "I have decided on behalf of the Aesir that nothing more is to be done with regard to this situation." Sif breathed a sigh of relief. "The relic is not top priority at present. Loki will take care of the pup and Sif – should it be her will – will help him. Dismissed."

* * *

Loki made his way back to his bed chamber with Fenrir. Shaken from the uncomfortable interaction with his father and doubly exhausted, he wished only to retire to his bed until the next morning. He had learnt, however, that very rarely would he be allowed to rest as he wished in the palace. As he walked through the halls en route to his chamber he was approached by a very amused Vidarr.

Vidarr was a member of the Aesir, though many often questioned his authority and were confused as to why such a callous individual was allowed a position as high as his in the council. The Aesir were the council of high Asgardian elders and consisted of Odin, Frigga, Balder, Vidarr and a good friend of Loki's, Tyr. They helped Odin make decisions for the welfare of Asgard and held most of the authority in the realm. Vidarr only caused trouble and often abused his power, as well as any woman that was unfortunate enough to wind up with him.

He was tall enough to be able to look down on Loki and big enough to overpower an ox. Though he had an advantage in most battles, his mental capacity was of embarrassing standards. The palace staff would often jest that he could never count past twenty, while others took it farther and joked about him asking what a twenty was. Loki enjoyed what little conversation he had with them, as each of them was at times as witty as he, especially with regard to mocking Vidarr.

"Looks like the fool has a pet." He sniggered at Fenrir who was resting comfortably in Loki's arms. "They say that the owner in time develops to look like the animal that follows them around, and look! You already look like a pitiful hound."

Loki was tired and unamused. "Oh dear," he started, "that must be why you've taken to resembling an angry, oversized fly, Vidarr."

His scarred face turned red to match his beard, though Loki was unsure if it was because of embarrassment or anger. _Definitely both,_ Loki nodded proudly and walked past Vidarr who was still standing as motionless as he was speechless. His wit – if the old brute had any – unsurprisingly failing him.


	3. Wolfish Utterances

It had been mere weeks. Was it three weeks? Four, perhaps? It might have even been five. All Loki knew was that it was not long since they had found Fenrir, and by Odin's beard, the pup had already grown to be almost the full size of an adult wolf! His paws were still quite disproportional to his body, which made him somewhat clumsy. Loki didn't understand this. At this size a wolf's paws would look normal when compared with the rest of the body. He thought nothing of it though, and focused more on the rate of Fenrir's learning. He could understand most things that Loki said to him, and even performed simple tasks that Loki asked of him. He was a mischievous young wolf, making Loki proud on a daily basis with his whimsicality. He could sense great potential in Fenrir and believed that he was a special creature with extraordinary abilities. This belief was only strengthened when something remarkable happened.

It was a rather peaceful day and Loki was free for the entirety of it. He and Fenrir were both outside in the palace's courtyard. Fenrir's raven-black fur shone in the sunlight as he ran around scaring the staff and chasing after birds. Loki twirled a stick he found and called him over. He threw the stick as far as he could manage and chuckled as Fenrir tripped before grabbing it and running back to Loki. He dropped it at Loki's feet and stuck his tongue out proudly. The stick was dripping with slobber as Loki picked it up hesitantly. His expression must have been that of slight repugnance. Fenrir sat, tilted his head and made a noise as if he was confused as to why Loki's face looked like it did. "I'm sorry, Father."

Loki was certain that never before had a man looked as astounded as he did then. He stepped back and stared at Fenrir with an odd mixture of confusion, astonishment and intrigue. The most prominent thought in his mind was that Fenrir's sudden vocalization was merely imagined. Perhaps it was hotter than he thought and he needed shade and a cool liquid. He _did_ feel rather tired. Maybe he needed to sit down.

"What is the matter?" Fenrir spoke again.

 _Sitting down, definitely_. He slowly bent down towards the ground and allowed himself to drop the rest of the way. "You… You just…" He pointed his hand towards Fenrir whose mercury eyes glowed with amusement.

"Spoke?" He giggled. "Why yes! How else do you expect me to communicate with you?"

Loki breathed heavily. "Of course, how silly of me... How- how do you do that?"

"Same as you, I suppose. You _are_ the one who taught me, after all."

Loki nodded and swallowed. "It's just… wolves shouldn't have the ability to speak. No animal should. You have to understand my perplexity."

"Wolves can't speak? Does that mean I am not a wolf?"

"No, no. You're most definitely a wolf… Just perhaps an enchanted wolf or a different breed of wolf we don't know of. We _did_ find you in Jotunheim, after all. All the oddest things have spawned in that realm."

"You think me odd?" He furrowed his eyebrows, or what you would call eyebrows on a wolf.

Loki chuckled. "Odd as I." Then he frowned, looked at Fenrir and pulled his mouth as if he wished to start a question. He then paused, thought for a moment and continued. "Earlier on… Did you call me Father?"

Fenrir nodded ecstatically.

"You _do_ know you are a wolf and I a man, and I did not spawn you but found you trapped under a boulder in a cave?"

"Yes, I can remember all of that. Well, most of it anyway. But you _are_ the one who is taking care of me and I can clearly feel that you love me just as a father might love his blood son. Why, then, can you not be my father?"

It was at that moment that Loki felt a sense of pride and absolute love deep within himself in a part of his heart he hadn't allowed anyone into thus far. He realized how silly it was that he was feeling all of this, but in a way he felt like it was normal, even though he wasn't a particularly soft person and usually kept people at a safe distance and preferred to be seen as a cold person. Fenrir, however, wasn't a person, so in a way he didn't feel as exposed with him and also felt as if he could trust him more than anyone else he knew.

"Fenrir…" Loki got up onto one knee and looked into Fenrir's eyes with an intensity he hoped wouldn't make him uncomfortable. "I don't quite understand how what is happening is possible, but I know one thing. I do love you as a father would his son. And this is because," he leaned in and embraced Fenrir in a hug. Trying to avoid getting fur into his mouth, he continued, "you _are_ my son."

Fenrir in turn licked Loki's face. Loki laughed and then paused, as if graced with a brilliant idea. "Fenrir, we must get going. I have a trick we could play on someone."

* * *

Sif was in the palace's library researching into the relic that they were unable to find on Jotunheim. She had spent weeks in there obsessing over her supposed failure and hoping that she could find something to redeem herself in the Allfather's eye. Loki thought it was useless as she would never find out anything more about it. They didn't even know what it was called or how exactly its power worked. They had only learnt from an elf that the legend stated that the relic was "held in the land of the dead where life blooms free and ashamed." This is why the Aesir had decided unanimously that they should send a party to search in Jotunheim. It was a land where many things should not be able to live and yet many things did. They thought that perhaps by saying "ashamed", the legend was talking about the war where Odin fought against the Jotuns and won many thousands of years back.

Loki didn't care much for the relic. He thought that it was just as everyone said; a mere legend. But it amused him to see Sif so anxious to get his father's approval.

"You remember the plan?" Loki asked an excited Fenrir. They were both hiding behind a wall that separated the 'Enchanted Objects' and the 'Asgardian History' sections.

"Of course," Fenrir replied, his tail wagging a little too ecstatically.

"Perfect." They watched as Sif turned her back to them to search for more books. "Now."

Fenrir left the safety of the wall and walked over to Sif, making sure to keep a steady pace and hold his head at just the right height. He stopped next to her and looked up. He let out a slight growl to get her attention. She looked down.

"Oh, forgive me, Fenrir. I did not see you there. What is the matter?"

Fenrir persisted in staring at Sif and stayed silent.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my business. Go play outside." She started to walk away from him.

"You have failed the Aesir," Fenrir grumbled in a resonant voice.

Lady Sif froze and fumbled about with the book she was holding to get a grip on it. She failed and it fell to the floor. She didn't seem to care or even notice for that matter. For a few seconds she stood, not moving, just seemingly staring ahead of her. When she managed to come to her senses she turned her body slowly and made eye contact with Fenrir. "Ex- excuse me?"

"Lady Sif, your senseless difficulties in acquiring the requested object have granted you the shamed name of a failure. I am a late member of the Aesir. I was killed in a great war many thousands of years ago. But I have returned and I have watched your disgracing service. Having no way to communicate, I have taken this wolf pup as a host."

Her hazel eyes were wide with surprise. "H-how? Forgive my disrespect, but how do I know to believe you?"

Fenrir growled in his throat, making sure to make it clearly audible to Lady Sif. "How else do you think a wolf could achieve such utterances? It is not as if animals can talk. Verbally, that is."

Sif straightened her posture and did as always: she masked her fear and confusion with confidence and disbelief. "If you truly were a member of the Aesir, we would have heard of you. What, pray-tell, is your name?"

Fenrir might have paused, but he remembered what Loki had told him to do. "Your doubt is understandable, though you should control your tone. I am Hermoder. Messenger as well as warrior. That is all you need to know of me."

"And you think me a failure?"

"I know you to be a failure, warrior princess."

Sif's mouth curled up into a knowing smile.

"This is no joke," Fenrir growled.

"It appears it is, _Fenrir_. You can come out, Loki."

Fenrir turned to Loki's hiding spot, his brow furrowed in confusion. Loki popped his head around the corner and rolled his eyes. He stood and walked towards Sif, sniggering. "How on Asgard did you figure _this_ one out?"

"There is only one person in all nine realms who calls me _warrior princess_." She rolled her eyes and pushed Loki's chest playfully. "I do have a question though… How did you manage to get a wolf to speak?"

"That's just the thing." He shrugged. "It wasn't me. He talks on his own." He gestured towards Fenrir. "Show her."

"It's most definitely true!" Fenrir's tail wagged and his tongue rolled out of his mouth happily.

Sif frowned. "Do you honestly expect me to believe this? Just tell me the truth. Is it a spell? Some new magic you've learned? Mind tricks?"

"Let me stop you there," Loki interjected. "I swear on Valhalla that I speak no lies. I was just as surprised as you."

"I don't understand… How is this possible?"

"I just supposed it was because he comes from Jotunheim. We don't exactly know much of that realm and we've encountered some strange things there before."

Sif bent down and put her hand under Fenrir's chin. She moved his head from side to side and parted his fur, inspecting to see if anything seemed odd or out of place. It didn't seem that there was anything out of the ordinary. "I suppose that would also explain why he's been sprouting like bamboo. I've never known a wolf that has grown this quickly, and by the size of his paws, I think he still has a long way to go. Loki… this pup is going to be at least two thirds of your height."

Loki nodded, "I was hoping he would just have big paws his whole life, but given the fact that he's still a pup and is already almost the size of a normal full-grown wolf, I gathered that he's going to be gigantic."

"Is this a bad thing?" Fenrir sounded worried.

"It very well could be. Especially when the Aesir realizes we have what seems to be a dire wolf living in the palace. They might feel threatened." Sif wasn't exactly much help when it came to consoling.

Fenrir's tail became still and his head dropped.

Loki grimaced at Sif and put his hand on Fenrir's back. "Don't worry, little pup, Lady Sif and I will make sure nothing happens to you. Isn't that right, _Lady Sif?_ "

"Yes, fine." Sif rolled her eyes and waved her hand towards them. "Now please… I must get back to my research."


	4. Oaf and the Hypedbeast

Fenrir became increasingly hyper over the next week. He would run through the palace halls, oftentimes knocking staff around and sometimes tripping and breaking something of value. He had already gotten into quite a large amount of trouble with Odin as well as being scolded by Lady Sif. He didn't understand why they were so callous towards him, as he wanted nothing but to have fun and he saw that as something everyone was lacking.

He would dance around – his tongue sticking out and flailing about – saliva raining everywhere. He never ran into much trouble when it came to the staff. They all liked him and his playfulness. They mostly just dealt with him and cleaned up after him, and most of the time they would cover up his accidents so that he would not get trouble from Odin. When he wasn't spending time with his father, he enjoying being with the staff. Whether it was the maids or the cooks, he just enjoyed having company and the feeling seemed to be mutual.

There were, however, people in the palace aside from the staff who appeared to loathe him, and they never lost an opportunity to show it.

On one of Fenrir's gleeful dances through the halls, he rammed into a large, bulky mass. He bounced back, shook his head and looked up to see Vidarr. His eyes were dark and brooding. His rust-coloured hair was mangled and his beard looked greasy and uncared for.

"Oop, I'm terribly sorry, good Vidarr!" Fenrir shook his entire body and bent low on his hind legs. "Would you like to play with me?"

Vidarr scowled. "I'd much sooner rip the skin off my face, dog. Or perhaps I shall do that to _you_ first. Especially with the continuation of this crass behaviour of yours."

"There's no need for violent comments." Fenrir stood up straight. "I'm only playing and I'm causing no harm."

"You cause my brain harm." Vidarr rubbed his temple.

"That's odd; I hadn't realized you could harm what is non-existent."

Vidarr clenched his fists. "You are on thin ice with me, pup. Who exactly do you think you are?"

Fenrir straightened his posture and lifted his head regally. "I, sir, am a squire to Sir Loki."

" _You_ , wolf, are nothing more than an uncoordinated, uncouth _mutt_ ," he spat.

"That's _Mr._ Mutt to you."

That was when things seemed to move in a blur. Vidarr lunged forward and tackled Fenrir to the floor. He grabbed Fenrir by his injured paw and walked swiftly, dragging the wolf crying and flailing in pain behind him. He was dragged along in agony for what seemed like forever until they stopped in front of Loki's chamber. Vidarr kicked the doors open, startling Loki who was reading a book on different wolf species across the realms. He threw Fenrir into the room who slid on the newly-waxed floor and curled into a corner, shaking and whimpering.

"What is the meaning of this?" Loki shot an incredulous glare towards Vidarr and rushed to Fenrir. He knelt and held the pup in his arms.

Vidarr scowled and walked towards Loki until he was towering over them. "Your _dog_ disrespected me, fool. You should know that members of the Aesir are to be respected."

"And what if those particular members do not act in a way that could possibly be respected?" Loki spat, shaking with rage. "You're an oaf and a monster, Vidarr, and fear is not the same as respect."

"Seems like a good enough substitute to me." Vidarr shrugged, gave a menacing half-smile and marched away.


End file.
